War of Roses
by adaud
Summary: AU. Based very roughly on the reality TV show The Bachelor, with a celebrity twist. Kurt is the celebrity bachelor; Blaine one of the contestants. Please note: This is my very first Glee fic, so excuse if the characterization isn't on the mark quite yet. I've yet to get used to writing them. Also, completely unbeta'd.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1/?

The phone rang and Blaine answered after a quick glance at the screen. Before he heard the voice from the other end of the line, sounds of a busy coffee shop reached his ear. Blaine clamped the phone between ear and shoulder and listened.

"Hey, baby brother. Do you trust me?"

Blaine snorted very unattractively. "Not even remotely."

"But you do believe that I have only your best interests at heart?"

"Hmmm," Blaine pretended to think, tilting his head in contemplation even though his brother couldn't see him. "Again, I'll have to go with 'no, not at all'."

"I am your brother, you know," Cooper reminded him in a mock-pissed tone.

"That I am aware of," Blaine admitted grandly and to appease his disgruntled brother added after a prolonged silence from the other end of the line, "You're my favoritest, bestest brother in the whole wide world."

Now it was Coop's turn to snort. "Also your only one."

"Which should make you very, very grateful," Blaine continued to tease him. "You know. for not having to compete and all."

"I don't think I like you very much. I'm not sure why I'm still talking to you."

Blaine grinned into the phone. "You called me."

"Right," Cooper exclaimed as if only now remembering the reason for his call. "I heard a rumor on the set today."

Cooper worked in advertising. When he was younger, he'd dreamed of a career in front of the camera. Unfortunately, aside from a few TV ads nothing much came out of it. Until he discovered that he was better behind the camera. For a few years now he'd been working as a director, shooting TV spots and slowly making a name for himself which he never quite managed to achieve as an actor.

"Got into smalltalk with the new Colgate smile guy during lunch break and he told me he's applying for the new show over on ABC. Apparently they're planning a new season of The Bachelor, but with a new spin on it. Rumor has it they're doing a celebrity edition."

Blaine nodded absentmindedly while skim-reading a paper on the greatness of Lady Gaga._ Another one._ He had half a mind of telling the students in his next 'Women in Contemporary Pop Music' course that Lady Gaga was a banned topic from now on.

"Are you listening to me?" Cooper half-yelled into the phone which made Blaine jump.

He remembered that Cooper couldn't actually see him nod and answered, "Yes, I am. Why are you telling me all this?"

"Duh! You should totally apply."

"For what?"

"The Bachelor - Celebrity Edition. Are you being dense on purpose?"

Blaine decided to ignore the last part and stated, "I'm not a celebrity." Though the number of fan mail he got from his students - male and female alike - could suggest otherwise.

Cooper groaned. "Not for _that_ part. I'm sure that's covered already. No. You should totally apply as a candidate."

There were so many things wrong with that sentence, Blaine didn't know where to start. On an exhale he murmured into the phone, "I so hoped you might have learned the difference by now. What with working in the showbiz and all." Louder, he spoke, "I may be gay, but I am not a woman."

"Neither is Colgate smile. But he is gay. You did hear me mention that he's a guy, right? If he's applying then I'm going to assume it's a gay bachelor. And a celebrity. Hey, maybe it's that guy you like. What's his name? Anderson Cooper?"

Blaine rolled his eyes and suppressed a groan. "He's like 20 years older than me. Also? Not a bachelor."

"Well, what about that other one. Ehm... Alexander McQueen?"

"Dead," Blaine replied dryly.

"Neil Patrick Harris."

"Not a bachelor. And even if he was, I seriously doubt he'd be looking for his life mate on national television."

"Well, then, who would you like it to be?"

"Why? Do you have connections to make it happen?"

"No."

"Then nobody."

"Why not?" Cooper almost whined.

"Why would I consider becoming the laughing stock of millions of people?"

"Why do you automatically assume you would?"

"What, you mean there's another alternative to the outcome?"

"Maybe you'll find someone who's right for you."

Blaine laughed wholeheartedly. When he noticed that his brother wasn't joining in, he stopped. "Oh my god, you like actually mean it. " After a prolonged silence, all he could say was still just a, "Wow."

Cooper simply shrugged which Blaine of course couldn't see. But he didn't have to. Suddenly, Blaine understood something very essential about his brother and their relationship. All these times when Cooper had asked if there was someone special, someone Blaine was seeing, Blaine had simply assumed that he was looking for reasons to poke fun of him. Good-natured, of course, but still. He'd just never... not in a million years would have considered the notion that his brother actually wanted to see him happy. In a relationship happy. The realization was followed by a surge of affection for his brother and he suddenly wished he was there with him so he could give him a hug.

His words were much gentler when he said, "I appreciate the thought, Coop. I really do. You're a good brother. I just... I don't think I'm gonna find him in front of a camera. That's all."

"This is the modern age, Baby-Blainers." Blaine cringed at the nickname from childhood. "People meet under the weirdest circumstances. All I'm saying is - if the 'normal' way hasn't worked out for you yet, why not try something unusual?"

Blaine whimpered because he felt his resolve melt. As usual, Cooper could sense it from even miles apart.

"Yes! I promise you, you won't regret it, baby brother."

"A - you can't know that. And B - I already do."

Cooper ignored both statements and just whooped into the phone. Blaine held it away from his ear. He needed his hearing if he was going to grade his applied music students' final performances.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2/?

Four months prior

"You have _got_ to be joking," Kurt exclaimed, with that special quality in his voice which it almost always had nowadays - somewhat distracted as if his mind was already on the subject after next.

"I'm glad I amuse you," Santana answered, "but no, I was actually kind of dead serious."

That made Kurt pause and focus on her for a full 30 seconds which had to be a record, because ever since she came to work for him, she hadn't known him to stand still for longer than five seconds at a time; ten if the conversation partner was captivating. He never even sat down to eat and she highly doubted if he ever slept. Santana was convinced that, in return for fame and fortune, Kurt had sold his soul to the devil long ago and often made jokes on the matter. Preferably when in company of devout Christians. Kurt regularly scolded her for those transgressions, but never failed to raise her pay after each one of these incidents.

"Why, Santana?" Kurt asked with a long-suffering sigh, resigning himself to the conversation.

"Because you work too hard, because I am starting to believe that you've actually unlearned how to have fun, because I don't know when you had your last holiday and because I care for you."

Kurt nodded thoughtfully at the reasons, commenting on each one with an earnest, "Uh-huh."

"I might have believed you if it wasn't for that last one."

"Pokered to high?"

"Way," Kurt answered. "So what's the real reason?"

Santana grinned evilly. "'Cause I want to try and walk in your shoes, figuratively speaking, and boss the staff around."

"You already do that," Kurt interrupted, but Santana ignored him.

"And because you seriously need to get laid." She paused a second, thinking. "Or do the laying. I'm not sure which one you'd prefer." Tilting her head to the side slightly, she pensively added, waving a finger in his direction, "Though I guess there's this certain toppy dom vibe you give off."

Kurt rolled his eyes and went back to his task of glancing over designs and adding changes or comments where necessary. "I can get laid on my own."

"Yeah?" Santana challenged. "Then why don't you?"

"I don't have the time. We're in a critical phase, business-wise. We can't allow ourselves to slack even just a little. Not now when the entire fashion world is watching us like hawks. I can't just leave everything here."

"And I just told you that you can. I'm absolutely capable of taking over for a couple of weeks. Or months." After a pause and a change of tone, she added, "I really do believe this thing might be good for you."

"Does it take you time and effort to come up with these harebrained ideas or does it just come naturally to you?" Kurt wondered aloud.

"I'm serious, Kurt. You're being unusually bitchy lately."

"I'm not sure that is something that can be improved by... getting laid, as you put it. I've always been bitchy. Or do I have to remind you of high school?"

"And if I remember correctly, you weren't getting any back then either."

Well, damn, she had him there.

"And your dad agrees with me," Santana delivered the death blow.

"What?!" Kurt screeched. "My dad agrees about me needing to get laid?"

"No, Lady Hummel, he agrees about you needing a break."

"You play unfair, Satan."

Santana just shrugged, knowing she'd won. "I'm gonna leave this proposal," she tapped the folder she was holding in her arm, "on your desk. Just look it over. It does sound promising." Her face turned into a gleeful smirk and Kurt didn't like it at all. "Also, I think it'd be fun to watch. TV has been a dreary place lately. I need some entertainment." She chuckled as she left his office, leaving behind a document with the ABC logo embossed on it. Kurt eyed it as though it was going to bite, but then sat down to read its contents.

Now

"This is a mistake," Kurt murmured and glanced outside through the dark-tinted windows of the stretch limousine. They were headed to the airport and Kurt had the strong feeling of making a mistake. If he wasn't stipulated by a contract, he might have been tempted to blow the entire thing off.

Opposite him, Santana was sitting quietly, taking notes in such a compliant manner that it made Kurt instantly suspicious of her ulterior motives. "I never should have signed. This is all your fault. Why did I let you talk me into this? This is insanity."

"Ugh, get over it already. You're going to spend the coming weeks in a Caribbean villa full of the hottest single gay men this beautiful country of ours has to offer. I don't know of a single person that wouldn't switch places with you in an instant. Including me. And I'm a lesbian."

Kurt sighed, not convinced. "The contract is ridiculous. All these stipulations."

"It's a show, Kurt. They aim to entertain. Besides, those are contingency plans. Don't think about it."

"They reserve the right of telling me whom not to send home if they feel it would be beneficial to keeping the audience's attention. That's code for drama. There's nothing real about this so-called reality TV."

"And you're what? Shocked?" Santana rolled her eyes at his naivete. "I'm sure you'll manage to provide enough drama on your own so they won't feel the need to intervene."

"I'm not sure if I should feel flattered or insulted," Kurt replied.

"You should get your mind in the game," Santana replied. "And stop thinking about business. I've got it covered and I know how to reach you in case there's questions. Which there won't be."

The limousine came to a stop and Santana glanced out the window.

"Okey-dokey, here's where I get out." She opened the door and climbed out. Before leaving Kurt, she stuck her head back in and singsonged, "Try to enjoy yourself. And I'll try my best not to bring your fashion empire down while you're gone."

"Your best is not good enough, Santana. Try _my_ best," Kurt tried calling after her, but she was already gone. He sat down in his seat and huffed, images of his life's work of ten years going down the drain.


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine was nervous. Maybe 'nervous' was putting it mildly. The last 48 hours had been a blur and had kept him busy enough so he didn't think of giving into the temptation of fleeing the scene, which he totally would have done under different circumstances. Though backing out wasn't usually his style, he would have made an exception in this case, his brother and whatever half-promises he'd made be damned. But now he was stuck on an island, far away from civilization that going back on his own, without soliciting help from any of the studio's staff members, was literally impossible. He would have felt better if he could just go outside for a while and breathe. But he couldn't. He signed a contract and this was his life now. Alright, so maybe that was a bit dramatic. It was going to be his life at least for the next few months. That is, if he even got that far. Suddenly the humiliation of being let go in the first round made room for a feeling of hope at the prospect.

Blaine fidgeted, picking at the hem of his polo shirt, and looking around at the other contestants with whom he was cooped together. A few guys were making small talk in groups of twos or threes. One guy was strumming a guitar and Blaine felt a sudden surge of jealousy and longing for his own instrument which he didn't think of bringing with him. Another guy was speaking into his phone rapidly while an increasingly disgruntled looking female executive assistant was trying to get him to finish his call and hand over the phone, in compliance with the contract all of them had to sign. Blaine even spotted a couple of men here and there flirting with each other. Most of the guys though were sitting alone, just like him, scattered around the various tables and corners of the room, looking nervous just like he did. All of them were more attractive than he was, of this Blaine was certain. In the face of so many good-looking men in even better looking clothes, Blaine felt small - both figuratively and literally speaking - and completely out of place.

Blaine's stomach twisted painfully and Blaine looked toward the fresh fruit buffet set up along one of the walls, but there was just no way he'd be able to eat anything now. His nerves were aflutter. Suddenly, and to his relief, a discreet ringing was heard. The sign that the show was about to begin. A director's assistant came in to give them some final information and to explain how the filming was expected to proceed from there.

They had been given numbers and told to listen for the audio sign. Every time the gong sounded the next participant was to step outside to meet the bachelor. They had exactly one minute to share a few words with each other before it was the next contestant's turn. Blaine was number 7.

Finally the gong sounded for the seventh time. Blaine got up, rubbed his damp hands on his thighs and clutched the doorknob, not really sure what he was hoping to see on the other end of the door.

The door led to a darkened corridor, to both sides of which assistants with headsets were positioned. They grabbed his arms and gently pushed him towards another door. In front of it and blocking the exit stood another headset-clad assistant who was counting down the last five seconds on his hand. At zero he stepped aside, pulling the door open and quickly hiding behind the set frame so his silhouette wouldn't be picked up by a camera.

Blaine just stood there, completely frozen and, more importantly, blinded.

Like, literally blinded. There were cameras everywhere and whichever direction he looked, all he could see were spotlights directed at him, burning his retina with their blinding white light. Blaine blinked. Then blinked some more.

When, after a few moments, his eyes began to adjust and he could detect forms and see colors again, Blaine was blinded again. For an entirely different reason this time.

Kurt Hummel.

Kurt Fucking Jesus Christ On a Stick Hummel.

Blaine had hoped, dreamed, speculated, spent maybe an entire afternoon (or two) talking possibilities with his best friend, but never, not even for one short-lived moment had he entertained the idea that the bachelor in question would turn out to be Kurt Hummel.

He looked... stunning, thought-stoppingly gorgeous, utterly heartbreakingly perfect and... taller than Blaine had imagined him to be. Huh. Ah, well, he could've had guessed.

As Blaine slowly, so slowly that he had to look down to his feet to check if his legs were moving, made his way over to the waiting Kurt, he couldn't help but stare. He seriously hoped his jaw wasn't hanging open, but he really couldn't tell, what with all feeling suddenly gone from his body. Blaine figured this must be what an out of body experience felt like. And immediately rolled his eyes at himself that the only thing he could think about when laying eyes on real-life Kurt for the first time were such inane questions.

But, oh my God, dear patron saints, and baby Jesus, Kurt looked just... he looked... he looked like each one of Blaine's most secrets desires personified.

Blaine silently congratulated himself when he reached the small platform and climbed the two steps without stumbling. And he thought it not a small feat, considering his brain had ceased control over his body. When they were so close, Blaine could actually _smell_ Kurt - a low key scent, flowery, with a hint of freshly cut grass and a distinct note of something unerringly masculine and _confident_ and did people actually smell confident? - he had to use every ounce of self-control not to faint. Though, as first impressions went, it probably would have been a memorable one. Still, Blaine just wanted to look. Who knew how much longer he'd have the opportunity to do so?

And Kurt certainly offered a sight one could get lost in.

He was dressed impeccably to the nines. Despite the late hour, the island air was still full of the day's heat, but Kurt didn't seem to care. Clad in a charcoal gray dress pants that were suitably tight in all the right places and complimented his long legs, he wore a fitting vest, tailored perfectly to accentuate his narrow hips and broad shoulders. Under the vest, he wore a white silk dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow, exposing perfect and muscular forearms. He'd left the top buttons undone, with an elegant cole gray white dotted ascot tie around his neck. As Blaine let his eyes roam, he noticed a thin gold chain hanging from his vest pocket and secured around one of the buttons. For some reason his eyes fixated on that detail for a few seconds. It was just so... Kurt. And Blaine remembered with full force his completely inappropriate (because he wasn't a teenager anymore) crush he'd had on Kurt Hummel ever since he'd read his name in a magazine and then looked him up on the internet.

It was all Rachel Berry's fault, Blaine decided. He'd never met the woman, but he'd been somewhat of a fan since he saw her in an off-Broadway show once, several years ago. He'd followed her career loosely. And when she made her debut on Broadway, he sat in the audience, watching her perform. When he saw an article on her persona in the next edition of Stars on Broadway, he bought the magazine and skimmed over the interview and pictures. One image caption read, _Rachel Berry at the after show party, wearing HUMMEX, brand & design by Berry's high school friend and fashion newcomer Kurt Hummel_. The rest of it was google history. Of course nowadays, the name Kurt Hummel needn't be googled anymore. In a span of less than 6 years, Kurt Hummel and HUMMEX had risen to the top of the fashion world, inspiring people all over the world with his talent and whirlwind success story; and Blaine in particular with his beauty.

The beauty he was looking at right now. Blaine had to remind himself to breathe. The delicate features of Kurt's face, the perfectly coiffed hair, the elegant arch of his eyebrows, the slightly upturned nose, the eyes – oh goodness gracious, the _eyes_ – neither blue, nor gray, nor green, reminding Blaine of stormy clouds. And the lips. They looked so soft. Blaine was almost tempted to reach out and touch. He wondered how they would feel. How they would look glistening and swollen from Blaine's kisses. How Kurt's gasp would taste if Blaine nibbled gently on the corner of his mouth.

God, he felt hot. And this time it had nothing to do with the tropical summer evening.

Kurt suddenly chuckled and Blaine was catapulted out of his reverie. He flushed an embarrassed scarlet red and lowered his head, staring at his feet and taking a few deep breaths to center himself. How long had he been standing there, staring, when he should have been introducing himself?

When he finally felt it safe to meet Kurt's eyes again, the expression on the other man's face changed from flattered amusement to confusion, before they turned inquisitively curious.

Before Blaine could form a sentence or remember his own name, Kurt cleared his throat softly and asked, "Sorry, I know this is gonna sound like a total line, but... Have we met?"

"Only in my dreams," Blaine blurted out and immediately turned red; or redder, more so than before.

It was official now: Blaine's brain and Blaine's mouth were two completely separate entities.

Kurt laughed, a deep and rich and captivating sound which made the hairs on Blaine's body stand up on end and a pleasant shudder run down his spine, but Kurt wasn't laughing at him.

"It should sound cheesy," Kurt said with a smile and a steady gaze right into Blaine's eyes, "but, strangely enough, it doesn't. Hi, I'm Kurt."

"Hummel. I know," Blaine replied, too eagerly.

At Kurt's tilted head and questioning eyes, Blaine remembered to add, "Blaine. That's me. Blaine Anderson."

"Hello, Blaine Anderson," Kurt returned grandly with a slight nod of his head that reminded Blaine of times long gone. Words like old school and chivalry and curtsies came to Blaine's mind. "It is really a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes. It is. I mean," Blaine stumbled over words, then took his time to breathe in and out. Putting a smile on his face and straightening his shoulders he felt himself slip into a gentlemanly poise. "The pleasure was all mine," he managed to say with a calmness he did not feel.

"That's where you'd be wrong," Kurt mysteriously replied and winked. _Winked_. "I'm afraid we're all out of time," Kurt said and the regret on his face seemed genuine. "I hope we'll get the opportunity to talk later."

"I'd love that," Blaine answered, proud of himself for finally managing an appropriate reply at the first try.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a camera assistant wave for him to step away and walk towards the pavilion behind Kurt where the other contestants that Kurt had already met were waiting. Blaine walked around Kurt, but couldn't help to glance back at him as he made his way towards the gazebo lit up with thousands of fairy lights. He caught Kurt's head turned regally to the side, so he could watch Blaine walk away from the corner of his eyes.

Blaine's stomach swooped and he couldn't suppress a giddy smile, walking just a little bit taller.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi. I'm posting this as I write which is new for me. Usually, I wait till I finish a story before I put it out there. But I needed to try something new.**

**I'll try to update regularly, but with a full time job and the weather being so nice, I might need a few days here and there to write a new chapter.**

**Hope you like what you read. Comments are welcome. 3**

* * *

Part 4/?

Kurt told himself for the umpteenth time to breathe - in and out, in and out. And repeat.

He'd never fallen in love at first sight before. He'd never fallen in love, period. But he'd also never met anyone like Blaine whose eyes seemed to say so much and whose mouth looked so sensual and who was just the perfect height to wrap his arms around and rest his lips on the oh so soft looking hair. Kurt sighed, willing his pulse to calm. He was almost 30 for Christ's sake and he knew full well that he was acting like a hormonal teenager. He simply couldn't help himself. Blaine was just... Like nobody Kurt had ever met. He seemed to have a penchant to blurt out his thoughts with no filter, if the past 60 seconds were anything to go by - something that Kurt found endearing to no end. A man in Kurt's position and line of work didn't always get to hear the unfiltered truth about himself anymore. Except maybe from Santana's lips, but Santana's truth was a very special brand and not necessarily always helpful. Or true, for that matter.

The rest of the meeting scene went by in a blur. Kurt tried to concentrate, but found his thoughts regularly drifting and in the short pauses in between, he tried to inconspicuously steal glances behind himself until the production director told him to stop fidgeting because he was giving the lighting guys a hard time.

Kurt stopped. There'd be a party afterwards, a chance to mix and mingle and converse. He'd make sure to catch Blaine alone to speak a few words with him since they didn't even know anything about each other so far.

But Kurt hadn't considered the cameras. They were everywhere. Finding one particular man among the 25 candidates was not an easy feat, especially if said man was somewhat on the shorter side. The enterprise wasn't helped any by various members of the staff and crew, milling around, waving clipboards, and speaking into headsets. Kurt was frustrated.

He slowly moved through the throng of men, busy trying to match names to faces and vice versa and getting annoyed and frustrated whenever he had to redo a shot. He had to remember where to stand, how far to move into a set, where to come to a halt, how far he could turn his head to still be in the picture. It was giving him a headache. In addition, in his head he continued to go over the list of names he managed to memorize. There was Riley, Joshua, Peter, Andrew-call-me-Andy, Kevin, David, Eric, Sean, Christian, Sebastian, Bradley, Alex, Jesse. And of course Blaine. Blaine he had no trouble remembering.

He had, however, trouble finding him.

As he walked from one man to the next, he stopped for small talk, trying to ignore the men and women who were following his every step with a camera. He was expected to send 5 of the men home after the party was over. Right now, he barely knew the names of half of them. It was beginning to dawn on Kurt what an arbitrary thing the search for his soulmate on national TV was.

Exhausted from being under constant watch, he fell a bit silent and pretended to listen to a small group of men (Joshua, Brian, and Dominic-Nick-is-fine-too) discuss and fight over some movie Kurt hadn't seen. His plastered on smile was beginning to slip when another man approached him, offering a drink. Kurt smiled gratefully and took it, catching a few jealous eyes and some facial expressions that clearly read, 'Why didn't I think of that?'.

"There's a nice place over there by the water," the guy suggested, pointing towards a row of deck chairs under a lonesome palm tree.

Kurt excused himself from the group of movie-loving candidates and followed his rescuer.

"Thank you," Kurt paused, not remembering the man's name.

"Malik," the guy helped out.

Kurt smiled apologetically. "Sorry."

"Not a problem." He had an open, warm smile and very intense, searching eyes. He looked... smart, Kurt finally settled on. Also, hot.

He was tall, black, bald, carefully dressed in an off-white linen suit and looked very comfortable in his skin. Kurt barely even remembered meeting him earlier.

"I imagine it would be difficult for anyone to remember 25 names of perfect strangers after seeing them for one minute," Malik offered Kurt an excuse for the faux-pas of not remembering his name.

"Yeah. Though I'm usually really good with names," Kurt admitted.

"Well," Malik said, hesitated for a short moment, as if deciding whether to speak his mind or not. "To be honest, you did seem kind of distracted when I had my 60 seconds," he finally said, apparently having decided on being honest. "Number 7 must have made quite the impression," he joked.

Kurt didn't understand. It must have showed on his face, because Malik launched into an explanation. "I was number 8. So I assumed you were still preoccupied with number 7?"

"They gave you numbers?" Kurt exclaimed in disbelief, feeling slightly sick. "This is not some... meat market. So sorry," he apologized, but for whom exactly, he wasn't sure.

"Don't worry," Malik reassured him. "Not your fault."

"So, Malik," Kurt began, wanting to make up for everything, "may I ask what you're doing here? I mean, you don't look like you need help meeting people. Men." Kurt blushed a little.

"Neither do you," Malik returned which made Kurt blush a little more. "Actually, none of us do, if I take look around. So I assume our reasons must be similar."

"Work," Kurt confirmed and nodded once.

"Yep."

"What is it that you do?"

"I'm a lawyer. I've been working my ass off these past years, first in law school and then for my doctorate. I'm working for a prestigious law firm in New York now and, man, if I thought my college workload was crazy, it's now way beyond what's humanely possible."

"But you like it," Kurt concluded, not phrasing it as a question.

"I like knowing I'm doing something good. With my time. With my life."

"Well, I make pretty clothes, put a ridiculously high price tag on them, then sell them." Kurt shrugged.

"Don't. That's not how I meant it. If you found something that you love doing, something you're passionate about, something that makes you happy - that's worth a lot. More than a lot, actually."

Kurt nodded. He and Malik shared a long glance, both realizing that they found a common ground despite coming from such different professional backgrounds.

And even though Malik was beautiful, Kurt wasn't sure there was enough spark inbetween them to take this further. His thoughts were interrupted by the object of his contemplations.

"I've taken up enough of your time," Malik said. "I'll let you go now."

"Okay," Kurt answered. "I did enjoy the talk," he said.

"Me too." He turned to walk away.

Kurt let his eyes sweep over the assembled men, but before he could make up his mind which man or group to approach next, Malik stopped and came back.

"Number 7 is over there, by the way," he said with an unreadable smirk and pointed towards a cluster of old weathered logs that the ocean must have swallowed and then spit out again. And sure enough, on one of the logs there sat two men, one strumming a guitar and the other... Blaine.

Blaine was tapping a rhythm on his knee with an open palm and Kurt saw his lips were moving. Was he singing?

Smiling a thank you at Malik, he quietly approached the pair.

* * *

**Part 5 is almost done and will be up shortly. Thanks for reading, everyone.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this chapter is so short. I needed to change POVs, so I had to stop here.**

* * *

Blaine had strayed towards Alex when he saw him sitting alone by himself, strumming his guitar. He'd tried to mingle, but it didn't feel right talking about Kurt with strangers and it seemed like the only topic everyone here wanted to talk about. Understandably, of course, but still. Blaine would have loved to speak to Kurt and was determined to hold up a normal conversation this time, but Kurt was so busy. Whenever Blaine caught a glimpse of him, Kurt was talking to either one of the candidates or the network staff. So Blaine strayed away from the mass of bodies and found Alex.

They hadn't talked much, except for exchanging names and smiles and claiming they both needed a breather. Blaine had asked what type of music Alex preferred and whether he played professionally (yes, he did), so Alex had strummed a few chords of an original song before seamlessly leading into a slower version of a current pop song. At that point Blaine had begun singing quietly along.

He was so much into the song, he didn't notice they had an audience. He jolted when he heard the clapping behind him. Kurt stood there, leaning his hip against a sturdy post.

"That was really good," Kurt addressed them both, Alex and Blaine and in Blaine's direction said, "You have a beautiful voice."

Blaine blushed to the roots of his hair and felt so self-conscious, he missed the beginnings of Kurt and Alex' conversation. Kurt was just asking the other man what clubs he usually played at when Blaine tuned back in again.

"Do you take song requests?" Kurt asked Alex.

"Depends on who's asking." The other man winked in a flirty style which made Blaine's jaw clench with the unexpected surge of jealousy. But the next moment Alex laughed and waved a hand. "Okay, that was awkward. I thought I'd try the flirty kind of route, but that's so not me. Yes, I do take song requests. What would you like to hear?"

"What would you like to sing?" Kurt asked Blaine, passing on the question.

Blaine blinked in surprise for a few moments. "Teenage Dream?" he asked.

Kurt's eyebrows rose. Clearly he hadn't expected it. "Wow. Haven't heard that one in a few years. Sure. If it's okay with Alex."

Blaine and Alex conferred quietly for a few seconds before music filled the air again. It was a slow version, barely recognizable, and Blaine's voice transformed it into a sultry, almost melancholy bit that lent the evening a magical touch. Kurt stepped closer and sat down on the long beside Blaine. There wasn't too much space, and their hips and thighs were almost touching. They were close enough that Blaine could feel Kurt's body heat radiate from him. It made his voice half an octave deeper, though he tried not to focus on how close he and Kurt were.

Slowly, as the song progressed, Blaine noticed they were gathering a larger audience. Several of the other candidates had stopped their conversations and gathered around Blaine, Kurt, and Alex. When the duo had finished, they applauded and immediately started asking for other songs to be performed. Blaine didn't want to be the center of attention on an evening that was solely Kurt's and he looked uncertainly at the man in question. But Kurt simply smiled - a smile that took Blaine's breath away and made his heart skip a beat - and said, "Don't stop because of me. I could listen to you forever."

The last part was said so quietly, Blaine was sure it was meant for his ears only. Was Kurt flirting with him? Or was Blaine reading something into a situation? He honestly couldn't tell. So he honored Kurt's request and picked a song from the many that were requested.

Sometime later the performing duo was joined by Tyler, a sun-bleached blond surfer type, who was beating the drum on some improvised cardboard carton bongos.

Four or five songs into the spur of the moment jam session, Blaine's voice was accompanied by another as first Sebastian and then Andrew joined in, the latter turning out to be a professional singer. Soon after not one single person was left that wasn't taking part in it. Some were simply mouthing along the lyrics, others were snapping their fingers to the beat. Merry was amazing at beatbox. Eric and Malik even put on quite a show with their spectacular dance moves. Especially Eric's breakdance bits were acknowledged with generous applause.

An hour, or maybe two?, later Blaine felt flushed and warm all over from the simple pleasure of performing again. He hadn't been aware how much he'd missed this. Turning music into his profession had been a dream and he was happy with the life he'd made for himself, but somewhere along the way he'd managed to forget the sheer joy of being on a stage and making music just for music's sake.

As he wiped his forehead off the sweat beading there, he glanced sideways and caught Kurt staring at him with a wondrous look in his eyes. He had a gentle smile on his face and was biting his lower lip lightly, lost in thought. When he noticed Blaine looking, he schooled his expression into a neutral one, though his eyes stayed on Blaine.

"What?" Blaine asked with a smile on his face.

Kurt shook his head and chuckled quietly. "Just... I don't remember when the last time was I had so much fun."

Blaine frowned a little. He had the distinct impression this was not what Kurt had intended to say, but then he pushed the feeling to the back of his mind. He didn't know Kurt well enough yet to be a judge of that. "Then you're probably working too much."

"Yes, definitely," Kurt replied.

"I tend to do that too," Blaine admitted. "But my friends always keep an eye on me and regularly drag me away from my work to go out with them."

Kurt's expression turned wistful. "The only friends I have in the city are either working for me or are even worse workaholics than I am."

Blaine wondered how it was possible for someone like Kurt not to have a throng of friends to keep his mind off work. The surprise must have shown on his face, because Kurt offered an explanation, "I never had this many friends. And the ones I had, I left behind when I moved to the city."

"Where you're from?" Blaine asked.

"Lima, Ohio."

Blaine's jaw fell open and his eyes grew wide. "I'm from Westerville, Ohio." Blaine was about to remark how the world was truly a village when something in Kurt's eyes stopped him.

Kurt had the same inquisitively curious look on his face as he had when they had their 60 seconds together. "I know where I know you from," he said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Obviously, I had to change a few canon facts to make this story and timeline work. I'm not going into detail, what else exactly I changed. I suppose, it will become obvious as we go along.**

**Thanks for reading. And please comment. I'd love to know what you think.**

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Kurt tried to focus on his breathing. He was only partly successful. Of course it was Blaine. Of course!

Blaine looked so different now. Of course he'd filled out a little - the shoulders were even broader than they had been back then, the angles of his face a bit more pronounced, mature, and the hair. Mostly, it was the hair. The boy Kurt had had a secret crush on for most of his late teenage life used to wear copious amounts of hair gel whereas present day Blaine wore his curls loose and natural. And the clothes were the final thing that changed his appearance in a way that made him unrecognizable to Kurt.

The images from over a decade ago stole into his mind and Kurt saw it in front of his inner eye like it was yesterday.

It was his junior year in high school. Somehow, miraculously, the New Directions had made it to Regionals second year in a row. Still full of adrenaline from their performance, their group had filed into their designated seats in the auditorium when the next school's glee club - the Dalton Academy Warblers - was up.

From the moment the private school boys entered the stage, all prim and proper in their dark navy blazers, Kurt had been watching with rapt attention. He was so mesmerized, he didn't even notice anything around him.

"Kurt? Kurt!? Kurt! Are you listening to me?" Mercedes tried to grab his attention.

"Huh?" Kurt replied dreamily, not really listening.

"They're gonna bust our asses," Mercedes bemoaned. "We're busted."

"Uh-huh."

"Uh-huh?!" Mercedes exclaimed as outrageously as was possible for someone who was whispering. "What is... Are you...? These Babblers-"

"Warblers," Kurt corrected, still entranced in the performance and only half-acknowledging Mercedes' presence.

"-Warblers," Mercedes reiterated, but it didn't stop her laments in the slightest, "are singing us under the table and you're ogling their lead singer?"

"Uh-huh," Kurt replied again, eyes still firmly on the boy in the center of the stage.

Mercedes hit his arm. Hard.

"What?" Kurt jolted awake. "Ouch! Watch the sleeve. This shirt was expensive." Most of the New Directions members had kept on their performance attires - uninspired black shirts for the boys with equally uninspired slim black ties - but Kurt couldn't wait to change back into his own clothes, because yuck! polyester. Also, who knew what the synthetic fiber was doing to his skin?

"You're supposed to be snarky and say something to calm and reassure me," Mercedes continued, obviously oblivious to his fashion woes. "Instead you're eating up their lead performer as though he's sex on a stick and you've just quit your celibate."

Kurt ignored the second part of her statement and replied, "I don't think us winning or losing hinges on my snarkiness. Neither do the chances climb or fall in proportion to my ogling.

"So you admit it." Mercedes looked entirely too smug about it. Kurt decided to ignore her.

When the Warblers began their last number, Mercedes piped up again. "Why don't you go talk to him?"

"I don't think they'd appreciate it a whole lot if I just walked up that stage and into their perfectly choreographed performance," Kurt answered with a haughty, tight-lipped smile.

Mercedes rolled her eyes at him. "You know exactly what I mean."

Kurt's reaction was a barely noticeable inclination of his head - the only sign that he was really considering it. After a few seconds his shoulders sagged and he shook his head. "Nah. some things are best admired from a distance."

"Kurt, how do you expect to ever-"

Kurt cut her off, "I don't even know if he's even gay."

"You could go and find out."

"Leave it, Mercedes."

She knew by the tone of his voice not to press the matter further and Kurt was grateful. The truth which he couldn't even share with his best friend was that Kurt was terrified. He'd never chatted up a boy before, especially not a boy he was interested in. He didn't even know how to go about it, how to show interest of a different than just the friendly kind. And who was to say that it would end well? This was Ohio, after all.

The New Directions had lost, of course, but Kurt couldn't find it in him to be too sad about it. If he was honest, the Warblers had been better, and also, it gave Kurt the opportunity to watch them perform again at Nationals, even if it meant driving for two hours to get there.

Kurt dreamed about their lead singer for all of the summer break and most of his senior year. He'd been looking forward to competing again, in hopes to get to see the Warblers perform again, but they didn't enter the competition that year. And bit by bit Kurt's dreams of a pretty hot boy in school uniform with slicked back black hair were replaced by dreams of New York and NYADA.

Of course, that dream hadn't worked out exactly like planned either, but then again, life never did.

Except... here he was, on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean and here _he_ was - the crush of his late teenage years. Kurt didn't call himself a believer, exactly. Pretty much the opposite, actually. But he felt inclined to rethink his belief system in light of the present situation.

The feeling that their meeting was... _fated_ somehow... was too strong to dismiss so easily.

And of course, he was jumping way ahead of things.

"Where did you go?" Blaine asked him with a gentle smile. Not even a day, and Kurt was already completely in love with that smile.

"What do you mean?"

"You seemed like miles away there for a moment," Blaine explained.

"You were the frontman of your school's glee club," Kurt replied instead of an explanation. "You came in second at the Nationals back in 2011."

Blaine's jaw dropped in surprise and his eyes - such pretty eyes, Kurt noted once again - grew impossibly wide. "Yes. Oh my God. That was _ages_ ago," he exclaimed, excitedly.

"Now you're making me feel old," Kurt joked, but Blaine's cheeks turned pink. "I'm kidding," Kurt hurried to amend. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"So, uhm," Blaine stuttered, trying to turn the conversation around to their previous topic, "you were in the audience?"

Kurt hesitated, then said, "Yeah, kinda." He wasn't sure why he didn't just explain, but it wasn't like he was lying. He had been part of the audience.

Blaine opened his mouth to say something but then was distracted by something behind Kurt and said, pointing in the direction, "I think there's someone trying hard to get your attention."

Kurt assumed it was one of the contestants, but when he turned around he saw one of the directing assistants motioning for him.

"I guess it's time for the roses ceremony," Kurt said with a sigh, "which is too bad. I'd rather continue... with the evening. I mean, it was fun." It wasn't what Kurt had meant to say. What he'd actually been about to say was, 'I love talking to you. I'd wish we could continue our conversation the whole night thru. I wish I didn't have to say goodnight to you.' But he'd moderated his reply in the last possible moment, not wanting to scare Blaine away.

"Well, there's always tomorrow, right?" Blaine said and bit the corner of his mouth nervously.

"Is this your way of asking me if you made the next round?" Kurt flirted. _Flirted_!

"Is there a particular reason for me to believe that I haven't?"

And if Kurt wasn't mistaken, Blaine was flirting right back.

"I can't think of one," Kurt replied, somewhat breathlessly, before he was pulled away by the network staff.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully, the next part won't take me as long.**

**Please let me know what you think. I love comments.**

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Part 7/?

Blaine woke up hard. The fact itself wasn't so unusual, but the cause was. Blaine could still remember the dream he'd had. Or dreams, since they were several. And all of them featured Kurt in various stages of undress. Blaine groaned and surrendered, letting his hand wander under the sheets and the elastic of his boxer briefs. He wrapped his fingers around his hard-on and squeezed, arching off the bed and into his tightly clenched fist in the process. Another groan erupted from his lips as he began to stroke himself, images of Kurt from last night fresh on his mind. But even more compelling were the pictures that his overactive fantasy could come up with. Blaine's eyelids fluttered close as his imagination slowly stripped Kurt of his shirt, bit by bit unveiling immaculate white flesh which Blaine longed to taste.

The need to feel Kurt was overwhelming and in his desperation Blaine's free hand dug into his own hair and pulled hard to force himself back to reality. But of course his subconscious immediately supplied images of Kurt burrowing his fingers in Blaine's curls. Another moan tore from his lips as Blaine allowed his mind to surrender to his own fantasy. Imaginary-Kurt scraped his teeth along the column of Blaine's neck and Blaine arched his head back to give him more room to maneuver. Kurt's fingers nimbly travelled down Blaine's side and slipped under the hem of the shirt he was wearing and Blaine's breathing increased. He was panting loudly now, the hand on his cock speeding up even more while behind his closed eyes Kurt was now pulling down the zipper on his pants and sinking to his knees. Blaine licked and bit his lips in anticipation. He would have sworn he could feel Kurt's breath ghosting over the sensitive tip of his hard-on. The suspense was killing him. He wanted to touch Kurt, to lick him, to bury his hands in the soft looking hair; wanted him to look up at Blaine from his position on his knees, wanted to drown in those eyes, and oh God, his lips and the softness and heat of his mouth, oh fuck...

Blaine came into his own hand, shuddering violently and gasping. When he finally opened his eyes, the ceiling was spinning in lazy circles and Blaine waited till it came to a halt.

When he thought he could try to move again, he looked down on himself. He was a mess; his briefs were bunched mid-thigh and cum-spoiled. So was his chest and belly. Blaine couldn't remember the last time he came so hard.

The next moment he felt embarrassed beyond belief. He really liked Kurt. Yes, it had begun as an impossible crush which was based solely on Kurt's beauty. For years, every picture of Kurt had held Blaine's attention for an inordinate amount of time. Something in every magazine clipping, every fashion show clip, every high gloss print spoke to Blaine, almost as if he knew the man behind the surface. That's why Blaine felt uncomfortable jerking off to the images of Kurt in his head. Kurt wasn't just a pretty face. And after last night's evening even less so. He was more beautiful in person than Blaine could have imagined, but his inner beauty - as much as Blaine had seen of it so far - was even more captivating.

Blaine sighed loudly. He had it bad for the man. He wished he could just walk up to Kurt and ask him for a date, suggest they go somewhere private, get to know each other. But those were not the rules of the game. Blaine released a frustrated growl and got up to clean himself up. He was happy to have a room all to himself.

All contestants had been assigned a roommate and so had been Blaine. But Kurt had to sent a few of the men back home last night and Blaine's roommate was one of the unfortunate ones who had to leave. Blaine certainly wasn't sorry.

He flashed back on the last evening. Kurt had been really nice, even as he booted three of the contestants out: Christian, the stiff country club type who seemed to have a constant sneer painted on his face, Gavin, the tall green-eyed religious guy who gave Blaine the creeps, and finally Bradley, the slightly feminine, flashy and too-talkative kind whom Blaine pinned as a party animal and who Blaine was supposed to share his room with and now didn't have to. Blaine hadn't yet gotten to know all of the guys to have an opinion on them, but so far, he approved of Kurt's choices. And last night gave him enough of a chance to watch some of the other candidates. He'd seen how some of the men were leering at Kurt and it was enough to make Blaine jealous. He already thought of Kurt as his and couldn't stand the other guys touching him or demanding too much of Kurt's attention.

At least today they would be able to connect a bit more. Blaine was looking forward to that. According to the schedule today the first group date would take place. Not what Blaine would have liked - he'd prefer to have Kurt all to himself, but sharing Kurt with a few guys was still better than sharing him with twenty-four of them.

Blaine didn't really care what they were going to go or do, as long as he got to spend time with Kurt.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, Blaine went down for breakfast. There was a long line of tables set up in the garden under palms and exotic flowers and most of the other contestants were already present. Blaine sat down in one of the free chairs and forced himself to eat something, almost too nervous to keep the food down. But the conversations around the table were a good distraction and he found that most of the guys were really nice and... normal. Blaine joined their talks and jokes and almost forgot to be nervous.

All his calm and composure went out the door however the moment Kurt stepped through the gate. Jesus - he looked even better than last night. He was dressed more casual today: white, not as tight white pants and a light gray short-sleeved shirt that accentuated his eyes beautifully, with a cute little cap on his head. He was smiling slightly and Blaine tried to catch his eyes, but Kurt seemed not to see him.

Kurt greeted them all, not lingering on anyone too long, including Blaine himself, Blaine had to begrudgingly admit.

"Are you going golfing?" someone called in his direction, motioning to his clothes and Blaine realized that, yes, indeed, Kurt was dressed for the golf course.

"I am," Kurt confirmed with a nod and a smile. "And I'm going to take three of you with me.

A slight murmur of anticipation rose around the table and Blaine glanced around nervously, something in Kurt's poise not agreeing with him.

Kurt was looking around the table as well, smiling non-committally at random faces, and again Blaine thought that Kurt skipped the place where Blaine was sitting. He frowned slightly, telling himself not to jump to conclusions, though his stomach was twisting with nerves.

"Alright," Kurt began and focused on a brown-haired guy with highlights in his hair and gray eyes, "Lance, would you like to join me?"

The guy - Lance - jumped from his seat and joined Kurt. "Love to," he answered with a wide grin which Kurt returned.

"Malik," Kurt turned to the next man, "what about you? You up for a game?"

"Absolutely," Malik replied. He wasn't quite so jumpy in getting up and joining Kurt as Lance had been, but Blaine could still see the pleased look on the dark-skinned man's face.

Two chosen, only one more name left. Blaine closed his eyes briefly and sent a silent prayer up. He was almost about to cross his fingers also when Kurt said, "Tyler?"

He didn't get to say anything else before the man in question rose from the table and walked up to Kurt's side. He was the surfer, Blaine remembered. He also had a killer smile.

"I've never played, but I'm game," Tyler announced.

Kurt chuckled and said, "It's gonna be a first for me too."

"It's been a while, but I used to be a decent player," Malik inserted and Kurt to look at him.

"Perfect. You can teach those of us who don't have any idea what they're doing."

Immediately, Blaine's mind conjured up images of the tall beautiful Malik pressed close to Kurt's back, navigating his arm movements, correcting his stance. Blaine felt sick suddenly. And hurt. Kurt was acting as though Blaine didn't exist.

"The rest of you," Kurt addressed the men who'd remained seated around the breakfast table, "I hope you have a nice day. You're welcome to explore all the facilities this hotel villa offers. See you all tonight."

A few of the guys piped up, wishing a good time or to congratulate the three lucky ones, but Blaine was frozen. He'd been so looking forward to today. And now he could just sit there and blink.

Had he been coming on too strong? Was that the problem? Had Kurt been put off by his advances?

Before Kurt disappeared, Blaine again tried to make eye contact, but Kurt wasn't even looking in his direction. Sulking and pouting, Blaine made his way inside. Before he reached his room, Alex crossed his path.

"Hey, man, you're alright?"

"Yeah," Blaine replied, not looking up.

He saw Alex hesitate, obviously not satisfied with his answer, and made an effort to convince him.

"I'm fine, really." He even managed a small smile he wasn't feeling as he looked up at Alex.

"Okay," Alex drawled, still not convinced. "The hotel has a gym and a few of us are going. You wanna join?"

"Nah," Blaine replied, "I think I'm gonna lounge out by the pool." Actually, he wasn't going to, but Alex didn't have to know that.

"Okay, if you're sure."

Blaine nodded and made to walk away when Alex called him back. "You wanna take my guitar? I can get it for you," he offered.

Music made everything better, Blaine decided. And he was missing to play, even though it had only been a couple of days. "Only if you don't mind," he told Alex.

The man just rolled his eyes and sprinted away, reappearing seconds later with his guitar in hand. "Have fun," he told Blaine, thrusting the instrument into his hands.

Blaine thanked him and watched him go. Suddenly, the prospect of spending the day in his room wasn't as appealing anymore as it had been minutes ago. He decided to enjoy the beautiful day outside, despite the disastrous morning, and went down to the pool. He chose a beach chair in the shadow and began strumming.

"Pretty _and_ talented," Blaine heard after he'd been idly playing the guitar for about an hour. He looked up to see one of the guys sitting down in one of the chairs next to him. Blaine must have had the question painted on his face, because the guy supplied, "Sebastian."

"Right," Blaine said. "Hi."

"Hello, gorgeous," Sebastian answered with a lascivious grin. His eyes were raking up and down Blaine's body, completely unashamed and lecherous.

Blaine frowned.

"You're beautiful," Sebastian stated.

"Uhm, thank you?" Blaine replied hesitantly.

"I noticed you," Sebastian said and Blaine wondered what the appropriate response to such a statement would be. "Last night," he continued. "Couldn't stop watching your lips move when you sang."

Blaine blushed, not so much at the dubious compliment, but from the embarrassment at the direction the conversation was headed.

"So, what else do you like to do?" Sebastian asked.

Blaine was so flustered, the first thing he managed to come up with was, "Well, I teach."

"Teach?" Sebastian's eyebrows wiggled and did people still do that? Blaine shook his head mentally. "Okay, you can teach me anything you want. I'll be a good student," Sebastian continued meanwhile. "But I actually meant your mouth. What else do you like to do with it?"

Blaine's eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets. "Are you flirting with me?" Blaine blurted out.

"Do you have to ask?" Sebastian answered and _again_ wiggled his eyebrows.

"Shouldn't you be turning your charms on Kurt?"

"He's not here now, is he? Plus, I don't know Kurt well enough yet."

Blaine was about to reply that Sebastian didn't know him well enough yet either, but he didn't get the chance, since the man was talking right over him. "And besides, Kurt told us to have fun."

"Not sure this was the kind of fun Kurt meant," Blaine objected.

"Well, he doesn't have to know, does he?" Sebastian almost purred and slid down his chair to join Blaine on his.

Blaine scooted away from him. Luckily, Alex and the guys who had gone for a work-out were back the next moment. All of them ran and jumped into the pool, forcing Blaine to turn his back on them to prevent the guitar from getting wet.

Laughing, they emerged from the water. Some of them got out and joined Blaine and Sebastian in their corner, probably hoping to catch another jam session. Blaine was grateful to have an excuse to not have to talk to Sebastian anymore.

Hours later, the three guys that had gone on the group date with Kurt appeared and were immediately cornered by the rest of the contestants, yelling all kinds of appropriate and inappropriate questions at them. Blaine didn't join in.

He remained quiet for most of the rest of the day and only perked up when Kurt joined them a few hours later.

"Did the rest of you have a nice day?" Kurt asked, not directing the question at anyone in particular.

"It would have been nicer with you around," a voice called out and Blaine did a double-take. It was Sebastian who had spoken and he had the same leering quality in his tone. How he could so seamlessly take his flirting and direct it at Kurt when only a short time ago he was trying to charm the pants off of Blaine, was a mystery to him. Kurt either didn't seem to notice or didn't care, because he replied in kind and they continued to exchange thinly veiled flirtatious remarks.

Blaine couldn't take it anymore and, not glancing at anyone, rose from his position at the side of the pool where he'd been sitting with his feet in the water, and quickly strode towards the kitchen, letting the door shut behind him.

During usual hotel hours, when the villa wasn't used as a set for a TV show, the kitchen was off-limits to guests. But the hotel staff had allowed for some adjustments so the contestants could use the appliances whenever they wanted.

Blaine pulled open one of the fridge doors, not really looking for something, only needing to get rid of some of his excess energy and rage. He'd just thrown the fridge door closed when he heard a tentative knock on the door.

"Blaine?" Kurt poked his head inside.

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**A/N: OMG, I didn't think writing Sebastian could be so entertaining. I've had the best time coming up with the schmaltziest things for him to say. Hilarious!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: As I stated at the very beginning, writing this story is a very new experience for me. It's the first Klaine fic I've ever attempted and it's also the very first time I'm posting a WIP. I didn't expect the pressure to update quickly and regularly to be this high. I'm not sure yet if it's obstructive or conducive to the writing process. Whichever it is, it made me realize I need to plan the story ahead, even though as I started out, I told myself I wouldn't do this. But there's just so many ideas in my head, and some of them cannot be incorporated into the same story.**

**So, to make a long introduction short: I'm not sure when the next update will be coming. As soon as I figure out where to take this story, I guess.**

**Hope you all stay with me until then and that you'll still be here when I post again. It may take just a weekend, or several weeks. Who knows. I'll do my best. Until then, you lovelies.**

**Enjoy and please comment.**

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"Blaine?" Kurt called tentatively into the room before stepping inside.

Blaine stood with his back turned to him and upon hearing Kurt's name his posture seemed to freeze.

"Can I talk to you?" Kurt asked, still talking to Blaine's back since the other man didn't seem willing to respond anytime soon. On the inside, Kurt heaved a sigh. He had begun the day with the best of intentions, but somehow still managed to fuck everything up. At the very least he managed to upset Blaine, whose sadness rolled off the man in waves. They did say that the road to hell was paved with good intentions, didn't they?

The thing was - Kurt missed Blaine. He'd missed Blaine the entire day. Actually, he'd missed him since the very minute they said goodnight the previous evening. Despite being exhausted, Kurt couldn't sleep. He'd turned back and forth in his bed, his mind a complete mess, every single thought revolving around Blaine.

It had taken Kurt years - and incessant pushing from both, Rachel and Santana - to get over his stupid schoolboy crush on a boy he'd never even spoke to. With some highlighted memories here and there, high school had been mostly hell for Kurt. There were days when the only thing that kept him going was the world he'd made up in his head; a world that was pure and beautiful and populated only by one other person. In his head, Blaine - though secretly Kurt had always called him 'lover' for lack of a name - had become his rock. Whenever a day had been particularly nasty, and the slushies particularly cold, and the stains they left behind in expensive clothes, bought from hard-saved money, particularly difficult to remove, Kurt escaped into his parallel world. A world where his dark-haired boyfriend shared his woes and his laughter and even his classes, because in Kurt's head they went to the same school. In Kurt's mind Blaine took the lead role in every fantasy of the future Kurt had thought up. The idea of Blaine had filled a gap in Kurt's life, had given him courage when Kurt needed it most. Escaping into this world that he'd made up in his head had become such a habit for Kurt, that it was difficult to let go of once he realized that he had to. And it was necessary, because his fantasies had become unhealthy, because they were keeping him from actually going out and enjoying life in a new and big city. Kurt had forced himself not to think about the dark-haired boy anymore. With time, he'd managed. It had felt like going through hell, but he'd done it. And all of it only to find out that the real version was better than his fantasy.

Blaine was charming, and funny, and excitable, and talented, and gentle, and hot, and completely adorable, and so very, very real. Kurt didn't want to fall back into the imaginary world he'd created for himself when he was a teenager. Distancing himself from it had been like going through withdrawal - or heartache - and Kurt simply couldn't fall back into old habits. And he was so very close to do just that. The feelings were already so intense, after just one evening. And he could never lay all that on Blaine. At least not after knowing him for only a few hours. Blaine would think him crazy.

So he told himself to take a step back and evaluate. To try and see things from perspective, with an impartial mind. The best way how to achieve that, was to distance himself from Blaine, even if only for a little while, even if only for a day. Kurt had been hoping to get a clear head. Instead he got headaches.

He'd spent the entire day missing Blaine and thinking about him. The other guys were great. The conversations never stopped and flowed easily; they had fun, they had joked around, even flirted a little, but Kurt had been distracted the entire time, not that he thought the other guys noticed. At least he hoped they didn't. Though... Malik did give him a few contemplating looks in the course of the day. He was way too perceptive. Kurt would have to watch himself more in Malik's presence.

But now it was time to do some serious damage control if he wanted to have a chance at something real with Blaine. And God, did he want to... Kurt almost sighed with longing.

But Blaine still wasn't even looking at him.

"Blaine?" Kurt tried again.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, you can talk to me," Blaine clarified.

"Oh, right." Kurt waited another second. "Would you turn around?"

Blaine did and Kurt just looked for a moment before he spoke again.

"Are you okay?" he asked when he did.

Kurt could see on Blaine's face how hard he was trying to pretend to be fine and felt even more guilty. Blaine's eyes looked sad, but then Blaine smiled and it made Blaine look even sadder, because the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Kurt said.

Blaine shook his head vehemently and said, "You don't have anything to be sorry for." It was all show, Kurt knew.

"Yes, I do," Kurt protested. "I did imply last night that we were going to spend more time together. And I wanted to, really."

"I understand," Blaine cut in, nodding again. "There are so many men. And I already took up a lot of your attention last night. You can't spend your days with me all the time. That's ridiculous." Blaine snorted to emphasize the ridiculousness he thought the notion deserved and even tried a dismissive laugh that came out sounding fake too and Kurt couldn't join in.

"I wanted to," Kurt assured.

Something in his voice, or maybe the words, made Blaine halt in whatever throw-away comeback he was about to deliver. All of a sudden, his mask fell away and what remained was Blaine's genuinely curious gaze, so open, so... vulnerable. His eyes were so expressive, but Kurt doubted Blaine even knew it.

"Kurt, may I be frank?" Blaine asked, his voice soft and hesitant.

"Of course. Always." Kurt stared at him with an intense gaze.

"Uhm.. Well... I'm..." Kurt gave him an encouraging smile when he heard Blaine stutter. Blaine took a breath and said, "I'm not sure... Well, here's the thing. One minute you look at me like... like you could really like me and you..." Blaine's lips quirked up in a bashful smile here, "flirt with me. And the next minute you won't even look at me. It's confusing, I guess."

"Oh," Kurt dumbly replied. Whatever speech he'd prepared in his head for this moment - the entire 2.3 seconds of time between the decision to follow Blaine into the kitchen and the moment of actually arriving there - he hadn't counted on Blaine's blatant honesty.

"Am I wrong?" Blaine held his breath and his gaze seemed to drill right into Kurt's soul.

"No. I... I do like you. Really, I do." And, oh Lord almighty, so much more, which was exactly the problem. Kurt wanted it to be real. He knew it was real, but he still couldn't trust it. Things like these didn't happen in real life, did they? People just didn't fall in love at first sight. In lust maybe; or infatuation - yes, that too. But love? And even those who claimed that they did - how long did they last? Kurt wanted it to last forever; yeah, forever sounded like an acceptable time frame to begin with. "I just... There's so many conflicting thoughts in my head."

Blaine's face fell. "Oh." The sound escaped his slightly parted lips and they remained in their o-shape as Blaine's eyes became guarded again. The fake smile was back too. "Of course. I mean, I understand," he sputtered again.

Kurt saw that Blaine was taking this the wrong way. He took a step closer, not really sure what it was that he wanted to do, except for needing to convince Blaine of his true intentions. But then the door behind him was kicked open and a two-men camera and sound team panned in. Kurt groaned inwardly. He'd completely forgotten that he wasn't supposed to talk to the contestants without a camera present. He would be getting some flak for it later. He would also have to find a way to talk to Blaine tonight, aside from any camera or audience. For now though, he had to end their improvised meeting, no matter how much it pained him to leave things unresolved. He vowed that he'd make up for it to Blaine later.

In the meantime he would call Santana and blame her for everything. Coming here and taking part in this show had been her idea in the first place after all. Kurt needed someone to yell at and she'd do perfectly.


	9. Chapter 9

**This update has been long in the making. Sorry for the long wait. None of my friends know I'm writing this and it's difficult to write when you don't have someone to bounce ideas off of, who cheers you on or says what you wrote there is utter bullshit and could you please re-write this section, thank you.**

**But at least I know now where I want to go with this story. Now I only have to write it. **

**Thanks to everyone who's (still) reading. You're awesome!**

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Part 9/?

Kurt was gone before Blaine had even had the time to get his wits together. His mind was still occupied trying to process what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted by the cameraman and sound technician. Kurt had gotten so close to him. Would he have kissed Blaine? Didn't matter. Aside from the fact that it totally did, because Blaine's mind reeled at the mere idea. It alone was enough to start an entire movie before his inner eye. Blaine was so busy replaying it in his head and watching the door behind which Kurt had disappeared, he'd forgotten he wasn't alone in the room and didn't even notice that the sound guy was asking him questions. Blaine furiously hoped he hadn't been drooling and tried to concentrate on forming appropriate answers.

"What were you and Kurt talking about, Blaine?" the guy was asking him while checking the shotgun microphone on the portable camera. "Was he telling you about his date? Were you disappointed that he didn't chose you?"

Blaine had successfully dodged their inquisitive questions and provocative implications the entire day; which was easy to do with about 20 other guys around. It was only day 2 and already they were starting to annoy Blaine. But he'd known what he was getting himself into when he signed up and got accept to the show. He'd just never expected to fall in love with the celebrity bachelor the moment he saw him. Also, he'd never known himself to be a jealous guy, but Kurt seemed to bring out this side of him.

"Do you think you stand a chance at tonight's roses ceremony? Do you think you've made enough of an impression on Kurt in the last few days?"

Blaine's first impulse, an impulse that was very foreign to him, was to snipe at the man, but at the last moment he took a deep breath and from somewhere within him pulled a smile up and onto his face, winking into the camera.

"I guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out," he flirted with the camera, giving it a wide smile.

"You sound confident," the guy commented.

Blaine was feeling anything but. The longer he thought about it, the more he was convinced that he'd overstepped some boundaries in confronting Kurt like that. But he answered, "I have to be. Otherwise I have no business being here, now do I?"

He turned away to the chuckles of both men. At least he managed to convince them.

Because tonight Kurt would end the evening with a roses ceremony again, all contestants were expected to join the cocktail party beforehand. So Blaine went straight up to his room to change and get ready. His stomach squeezed uncomfortably at the thought of having to spend an evening pretending to be cheerful and making smalltalk. Then his thoughts wandered to Sebastian and Blaine didn't even try to hold the groan inside. He briefly entertained the idea of clueing Kurt in on Sebastian's flirty nature and dishonest attitude, but he didn't want to be that kind of person. Besides, he hoped Kurt would figure it out for himself sooner or later. Blaine wasn't sure how much of his and Sebastian's so-called conversation at the pool was picked up by the cameras and if or what of it reached Kurt's eyes and ears, but even if Kurt never heard a word of it, he'd still have enough people smarts to realize Sebastian's game for an act. Right? Blaine sighed, wanting to believe his own reasoning, but all the while reminding himself that he didn't yet know Kurt well enough to make assumptions about his knowledge of human nature. Though it definitely felt like he did.

When Blaine descended the stairs, he found most of his fellow contestants already there, Kurt among them. Unlike this morning, Kurt looked up the moment Blaine stepped into the room and for a brief, but very private moment, their eyes met which made the butterflies in Blaine's stomach go crazy.

During the entire evening Blaine tried to enjoy the party, but he couldn't help but follow Kurt with his eyes, no matter where he went or whom he was talking to. And each one of Kurt's laughs that Blaine couldn't give himself credit for made him feel more and more insecure. By the time the roses ceremony drew near, Blaine had convinced himself he'd be the one to leave the group tonight.

Blaine tried to put up a cool front, but on the inside he was berating himself for what he'd said to Kurt earlier. He'd acted as though he had a right to Kurt's attention or time; as though Kurt owed him an explanation. He probably scared Kurt away; freaked him out completely. If it wasn't for the many witnesses, Blaine would have liked to punch himself for fucking this up.

When Kurt took place beside the stand where the roses for the ceremony were placed, Blaine was a perfect nut case. His palms were sweaty, his breathing flat and irregular. He hadn't been this nervous in a very long time, certainly more than a decade ago.

Thankfully, Blaine was spared further contemplations when Kurt picked up the first rose and got straight to business.

Kurt glanced down at the rose in his hand briefly before looking up and fixing his eyes right on Blaine. Blaine would have sworn his heart missed a beat.

"Blaine? Will you accept this rose?"

It took Blaine a while before his mind translated the answer to the question into movement and he stepped forward.

"I was sure you'd be sending me home," Blaine sheepishly whispered as he accepted the flower.

"What?! Why?" Kurt's eyes grew wide with surprise. "How… No, I…Why…? I'd never…" He then paused, smiled an excuse and tried anew, "Why would you think that? Didn't you… back in the kitchen… I thought we…" Kurt shrugged a one-shouldered shrug. "I thought there was a connection."

"There was," Blaine hurried to assure him, both parts relieved and elated that he hadn't imagined it. "Oh, god, yes, there was."

Kurt smiled, clearly pleased, and tried to hide it by looking down. The he looked up and bit his lower lip which to Blaine looked adorable. "Great. I mean, I'm glad."

Kurt glanced over Blaine's shoulder and Blaine turned to see what the matter was. An executive was motioning for him to move on to the next candidate. But instead Kurt turned back to Blaine and, with a side glance to the camera over his shoulder, said, "I hope you don't have anything planned for tomorrow."

Blaine's brain was still running on endorphins mostly so it took him a moment to understand. "Does it mean what I think it means?"

"I've no idea what the producers have planned for tomorrow," Kurt explained, "but whatever it is, I hope you'll join me?"

"Yes!" Blaine exclaimed and immediately tried to crank down on his too obvious enthusiasm. "Absolutely."

"Even if it turns out to be a group knitting course?"

Blaine grinned harder. "Especially if it turns out to be a knitting course."

Kurt playfully groaned. "Don't tell me you knit."

"Hey," Blaine protested, "don't diss my hobby. Men who knit are sexy. Google it."

"I'm sure some men who knit are sexy."

Blaine bit down on his lower lip and looked down to hide his blush.

Blaine was barely able to sleep all night. From time to time he experienced moments where he feared that Kurt would change his mind come morning. But most of the time was spent hoping that the date the executives came up with would give him and Kurt some alone time to talk. And, Blaine hoped, maybe even more? Was it too early in the game to wish for a one-on-one date? And how far was Blaine willing to go on camera; or Kurt for that matter? Would Kurt actually kiss him while the cameras were running? Would Blaine want him to? Blaine finally fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning when his mind was too exhausted fantasizing about what the next day would bring.

Blaine missed breakfast the next morning, he slept so late. He startled awake, confused for a moment what jarred him awake. then he heard the sound again - a knock on his door.

"Mr. Anderson?" a production assistant called through the closed door, then more tentatively, "Blaine?"

"Yeah?" Blaine mumbled and rubbed his eyes.

"Are you alright?" the uncertain voice asked him.

"Ehm, I think so." Blaine scrambled for his phone on the nightstand to check the time. It was almost midday. Kurt would be there in mere minutes to choose his date for today's outing.

"Are you sure? You haven't come down for breakfast. Do you feel okay?"

Blaine was already on his feet and headed to the bathroom, calling in the direction of the door, "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just overslept. I'll be downstairs in 10 minutes."

He didn't wait for a reply.

He was the last to arrive in the salon downstairs. A few of the men threw annoyed or sour looks and Blaine knew that the film crew had been waiting for him to join the candidates before starting the filming. He smiled apologetically and took a seat in one of the chairs scattered in the back.

After a few overview shots the cameras finally turned their focus on the entryway and seconds later - though to Blaine they'd seemed like endless hours - Kurt stepped through the doors.

He looked stunning as usual. Only, this time, it was impossible to tell from his outfit where the date would take them.

"Hello, everyone," Kurt greeted them all and then let his eyes wander. When they came to rest on Blaine's face, he smiled a different kind of smile - one that Blaine felt was reserved only for him. He couldn't help but grin back, feeling again like a hormonal teenager in love.

They held eye contact for a moment before Kurt swiped the room again and continued, "For today's activity I thought we'd take advantage of the beautiful nature of this island and go hiking through the Black River Gorges Park."

There was some sporadic whooping and cheering, but most remained silent, nervous to hear who would be chosen to accompany Kurt on this adventure.

"I am going to invite two of you to join me," Kurt said and the tension grew. Most were hoping that at least 3 people were going to be invited. "Blaine? How does hiking sound?" Kurt asked, turning with a smile to the man in question.

Blaine grinned happily. "Sounds fantastic. I'm in."

They shared another private smile before Kurt broke the contact. His eyes fixated on someone behind the nearest camera, but Blaine couldn't see on whom exactly. There seemed to be a tiny moment of hesitation for Kurt, but Blaine might have imagined it, he was so excited to spend the day with Kurt.

"And the second person I want to invite on this date is… Sebastian. Would you like to join in?"

Blaine's smile immediately slipped from his face. He turned to follow the jealous stares and saw Sebastian smirking at him with a smug expression.


End file.
